George Goldhoff has been named president of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City effective Jan. 30, 2023, pending regulatory approval. Goldhoff reports directly to Jim Allen, Chairman and CEO of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming.
Mike Sampson, who has been serving as interim general manager of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, has been promoted to general manager effective Jan. 30, pending regulatory approval. He will report to Goldhoff.
Goldhoff replaces Joe Lupo, who moved from president of Hard Rock AC to assume the role of president of The Mirage, which will soon be the Hard Rock Las Vegas. Sampson had served as interim GM since the November departure of Anthony Faranca.
In his new role of president, Goldhoff will focus on financial performance, market share growth, team member engagement and development, guest experience and support of the greater Atlantic City community.
“I’m confident George will continue to build on the incredible success we have achieved at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City,” said Allen. “In just three years of rebranding our property in Cincinnati, he was able to make that casino the leader in the market and I have every reason to believe he will lead our Atlantic City team into the next era with great success.”
“I look forward to working closely with the leadership team and team members to capitalize on the opportunities ahead and usher in Hard Rock Atlantic City’s next era of growth and success,” said Goldhoff. “I have a deep appreciation for what the current executives and team members have accomplished over the past five years, and I look forward to contributing to further Hard Rock Atlantic City’s iconic brand and supporting the greater Atlantic City community.”
Goldhoff comes to Atlantic City from Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, where he was president for the past three years and worked to rebrand the casino as a Hard Rock. The casino is currently the market share leader in southwest Ohio. Goldhoff also engaged with local community organizations in Cincinnati and orchestrated charitable donations of more than $1.4 million.
A national search is already under way to identify the next president of Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati.
Before his work in Cincinnati, Goldhoff oversaw four properties as president and CEO of PURE Canadian Gaming in Western Canada. He also assisted in opening Bellagio Las Vegas and was general manager of Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Mississippi.
Sampson will oversee multiple areas of operation and administration at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. He has 32 years of experience in the casino industry and has been with Hard Rock Atlantic City since 2018, when he was a member of the Hard Rock Atlantic City pre-opening team.
Sampson graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and began his gaming industry career as a player’s club representative at Caesars Entertainment in Atlantic City. He also worked with Tropicana, Trump Entertainment and Seneca Gaming.
Sampson serves on the New Jersey Board of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and strives to create awareness and remove the stigma surrounding suicide and mental health.
Sampson was born in Atlantic City and grew up in nearby Galloway, New Jersey.
